Archive | January, 2010

My friend _Funk always seems to find the funniest stuff on the internet and then sends it to me, where it then gets stuck in my head until I watch it about 100 times. I’m not sure how I missed this since it’s clearly been around for 2 years, but I just had to share it just-in-case you haven’t seen it already (plus I <3 the muppets!) ROFLMAO indeed!

Rating – E for Everybody
Price – $20 if you own the Wii Fit original, $99 for first time users
Genre – Fitness
Publisher – Nintendo
Date Released – October 4, 2009

Wii Fit Plus is the expansion pack that builds upon the original Wii Fit from Nintendo. This new and improved version adds some of the features that were glaringly missing in Wii Fit. Namely, the absence of a way to string together exercises. In the new package, you can choose from preset Wii Fit Plus Routines that target specific needs or use the My Routine feature to build your own yoga and strength routines.

In the Favorites menu, the user can choose the top 10 from 3 different lists: Frequently, Recently and Rarely. Wii Fit plus has added some simple tracking for calories, MET’s and fit credits. To make the most out of the balance board, Nintendo has added 15 new balance games. Another fun addition, but not integral to exercise, is the option to add your pet or child to the body test section.

In this series of reviews for the Wii Fitness games, I will use the following 3 criteria:
Ease of use – Is a user able to jump right into using the program?
Engageability – Is this a program that a user can stick with? Is there enough variety in the routines to combat boredom?
The Schwarzenegger factor – How fit can you actually get with this routine?

Ease of Use -
Wii Fit Plus steps a user through the entire process using the cute little animated Wii Balance Board who vaguely reminds me of Clippy. I almost expect him to ask me if I need help writing a letter.

The menus are well laid out and intuitive. The large colorful buttons are easy to navigate with the Wiimote. Just like in the Wii Fit, the exercises are slowly revealed to the user after the user passes certain milestones. This helps prevent a new user from getting overwhelmed in the beginning and lets them ease into exercises as well as the program.

Engageability –The most engaging exercises in the Wii Fit Plus are the balance games. With 15 new games, there are plenty of ways to keep a user honing their balance skills. The Segway Circuit is a fun jaunt on the beach on a Segway where the user has to lean on the balance board and steer with the Wiimote. There is a skateboard arena, cycling course and obstacle courses as well as snowball fights and rhythm kungfu. Of course, the yoga and strength are still available to do individually, but they are best used in the routines. While the routines are a vast improvement over the original Wii Fit, the flow is still broken by the trainer talks and the scoring at the end of each exercise. This not only breaks the flow, but makes the whole exercise routine longer.

Since I have always had a problem sticking with an exercise routine, I thought playing games would be a good way to do it. I enjoy playing the balance and cardio games. But as an exercise platform, the Wii Fit Plus just couldn’t keep my attention long enough. I had no motivation to continue the routines, due mostly to the breaks in flow and the same routines each day.

The Schwarzenegger factor –
So is winning Mr. or Miss Universe in your future by using just he Wii Fit Plus? Well if you added a bunch of weights and some steroids, possibly, but doing this exercise regime alone probably won’t do it. The cardio and balance exercises can actually help you lose weight and if you can stomach the endless interruptions, the yoga and strength workouts are pretty good.

Overall – This is what Wii Fit should have been in the first place. Although the addition of new balance games and the ability to create routines is a big plus, the time it takes to actually transitions from one exercise to another is a big let down. I felt like I could never really get into a rhythm because I had to stop, wait for my score, wait for the trainer to praise me and if needed, add or remove the nunchuck. I think this is a great game to get people started or let them have fun while getting some exercise and losing weight. I don’t think it is for a serious athlete wanting a different type of workout.

I do have to mention that we have a reader that reported she really likes the Wii Fit and lost 50 lbs after her baby. It does work. There are also many forums and groups, like The Wii Mommies, that help with motivation and tips and tricks.

WoW NewsNew developments with WoW security - hacked accounts will no longer automatically get all gear and money retrieved. They will over a ‘care package’ of 2500 gold and a handful of badges. Otherwise you’ll sit in a very long queue to get all of your items restored – could take weeks! Also in WoW – Alpha testing of Cataclysm is beginning Jan 12th – Blizzard friends and family only :(

Even though the holidays are over, I’m still thinking of fun unique gifts for birthdays & “insert holiday here”. So I took a look on Etsy and I found some really cute & fun gifts for the video gamer in your life. Lets face it, we might just buy them for ourselves cause they are that awesome! Enjoy!

First for the ladies Hardcore PS3 fan? Show your love with some amazing detailed PS3 controller earrings! I simply love what this artist does with clay & video games and she has a ton of other nerdy items in her Etsy store

Of course a keychain can be for either a man or a woman, but because I want this next item I’m putting it for the ladies. World of Warcraft is by far my favorite game of all time, so what a cute idea to have a hearthstone as a keychain. I just wish I could just click it and instantly be home :)

There is just something fun about the Horde symbol. It seems to work so well on most items, unlike the alliance lion head symbol :) So for those women horde fans out there, check out these sexy Horde earrings. I became aware of this artist from her Hearthstone earrings before the holidays, so I’m excited to see her adding to her collection.

Do you love Little Big Planet and missed out on the free sackboy with LBP for the PSP (yes I did too :) No worries you can still get your very own cute crocheted sackboy. He’s so cute!!!!!

Trying to grow your bangs out and need a cute hair clip? Let Mario, Yoshi & others help keep the hair out of your eyes.

Are you a pen & paper gamer? Check out this stylish D8 or D12 necklace & earring set. They come in a variety of colors and the artist will let you choose from either D8 or D12 dice. DnD not your thing? You can also try out a necklace with a Tetris or Mario theme.

For the menThe same artist that created the PS3 earrings didn’t forget the men out there. She has a large collection of cuff-links including Xbox, PS3, Nintendo & various games. I know if I had to wear cuff-links I would totally stock-up my collection with these :D

Does your man like Warcraft and hard liquor? Then kill 2 birds with 1 stone and check out this Horde Shotglass :) I didn’t see an alliance shot glass, but that’s ok since we know they can’t hold their liquor (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a drunk alliance dwarf telling me to look at his bum). However the artist does have a few other video game related shotglasses, so check em out if your into that kind of thing.

Is your man bored of plain soap when he showers? Or maybe he’s not using it at all! Try giving him some fun video game soap :) There are tons of options: soap in the shape of a PS3 controller, Nintendo Controller, Space Invaders & Pac Man.

I know that I suggested cuff-links above but when I found these I just had to add them. These are made from using original Namco gaming tokens and I already have at least 1 friend who I know would love these! I hope he’s not reading :)

Really this could be for a man or woman, but I’m running out of things for guys :) Have you ever wanted to take your favorite character from a video game and have a custom figure created? Sure if you play Warcraft there is FigurePrints, but I would encourage you to check out the work from this artist. She’s amazingly talented and some of her Real Person figures are jaw dropping.

Now if all of these gifts fail for your guy, there is always my tried and true standby…a funny t-shirt and over at Etsy there are hundreds of custom video game shirts sure to please your gamer guy.

It’s been a really long time since I’ve been so consumed by a game that I stay up till 3am to finish it, but the latest installment from Assassins Creed did just that to me. I’m sure I’ll talk more about the game on the next Ladies of Leet, but I really thought I would write my quick thoughts on the game while they are fresh. What I really found interesting about Assassins Creed 2 was when I first started playing it I really thought it was going to be like the first game. Now the first AC wasn’t terrible, but about a quarter into it I became really bored and everything seemed very repetitive, plus the story just didn’t keep me interested. So I simply stopped playing.

Now with AC2, I reluctantly started playing thinking I would get a similar experience and really the first part of the game is very similar to the first game (a lot of walking slowly and hiding). However I think when I got the main character (the Italian Stallion, Ezio) to his Villa, the game started to compel me to play more. The game has a main storyline which takes Ezio thought a long line of quests to avenge his family. As you are working on the main quest line, you also have a number of other quests you can do; including looking for hidden pieces of The Truth (a story line that is bigger than the one you are playing through Ezio), searching for treasure, collecting feathers, doing sim like renovations to your main Villa to increase it’s value and bring in more money for you to use, purchasing art work, armor and weapons to increase the value of your Villa, and finally 6 puzzle quests to obtain the armor of Altair. I think all of these side quests really kept me interested & invested in the game, since I could really play the game however I was feeling or had time too. For example, I had about 20 minutes before dinner was done so I quickly hoped on and did a quick assassination quest, something that is not required to do in the game to finish but a great option to have if your wanting to play.

The only real negative I feel about the game is I really had no idea they would end it – to be continued. I guess had I know I was only playing part 2 of the story I might have not rushed to the end (you’ll put in easily 20-30 hours into this game); come to think of it I might not have finished it at all. But now I’m hooked on what happens next, so when Assassin’s Creed III comes out I’ll picking that game up too…jerks ;)